Against the Grain 2000
Distributed by The Video Project, 375 Alabama, Suite 490, San Francisco, CA 94110; 800-4-PLANET
Produced by the Center for Ethics and Toxins
Director n/a
VHS, color, 13 min.
High School - Adult
Agriculture, Genetics
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Buzz Haughton, Shields Library, University of California at DavisProduced by Britt Bailey and written by Marc Lappé, (the two authors of the book with the same title as this video), this film deals with the genetic manipulation of food crops. Scientists now have the ability to inject genes for, say, cold resistance from a potentially unlimited number of plants and animals into commercial crop seeds. Chief among the pioneers of this technology are megacorporations like Monsanto, Novartis and Dow Chemicals. These companies tout agricultural biotechnology as the "second Green Revolution" and claim it is necessary to feed a burgeoning world population.
A series of scientists and organic and conventional farmers are interviewed, giving their opinions about agricultural biotechnology. Many experts are troubled by the almost complete lack of review of the consequences of the wide application of this technology in food crops, at least in this country. Further, much of agricultural biotechnology is profit-driven to the extent that the so-called "Roundup-Ready" seeds marketed by Monsanto, for example, allow a great increase in the use of that corporations Roundup herbicide.
This video is a good distillation of the Bailey and Lappe book and a capable introduction to the potential consequences of a new and rapidly expanding technology. Highly recommended for college libraries with nonprint collections in agriculture and life sciences.